Expanding indications for chronic hepatitis B treatment: Is it really desirable to treat everyone?

Chronic viral hepatitis causes an increased risk of progressive liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.On the wave of the World Health Organization’s goal to reduce new cases and deaths from hepatitis B and C by 2030,there is an increasing call to expand the indications for treatment of chronic hepatitis B.Currently,the main goal of treatment is to achieve a functional cure due to the inability of current drugs to completely eradicate the virus.There are still many discrepancies between available guidelines in terms of eligibility for treatment as well as an uncertainty about the appropriate treatment duration.This editorial addresses key questions about the topic and whether indications for treatment should be expanded.

The Influence of CO_(2) Cured Manganese Slag on the Performance and Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

The presence of toxic elements in manganese slag(MSG)poses a threat to the environment due to potential pollution.Utilizing CO_(2) curing on MS offers a promising approach to immobilize toxic substances within this material,thereby mitigating their release into the natural surroundings.This study investigates the impact of CO_(2) cured MS on various rheological parameters,including slump flow,plastic viscosity(η),and yield shear stress(τ).Additionally,it assesses flexural and compressive strengths(f_(t) and f_(cu)),drying shrinkage rates(DSR),durability indicators(chloride ion migration coefficient(CMC),carbonization depth(CD)),and the leaching behavior of heavy metal elements.Microscopic examination via scanning electron microscopy(SEM)is employed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.The results indicate that CO_(2) curing significantly enhances the slump flow of ultra-high performance concrete(UHPC)by up to 51.2%.Moreover,it reduces UHPC’sηandτby rates ranging from 0%to 52.7%and 0%to 40.2%,respectively.The DSR exhibits a linear increase corresponding to the mass ratio of CO_(2) cured MS.Furthermore,CO_(2) curing enhances both f_(t) and f_(cu) of UHPC by up to 28.7%and 17.6%,respectively.The electrical resistance is also improved,showing an increase of up to 53.7%.The relationship between mechanical strengths and electrical resistance follows a cubic relationship.The CO_(2) cured MS demonstrates a notable decrease in the CMC and CD by rates ranging from 0%to 52.6%and 0%to 26.1%,respectively.The reductions of leached chromium(Cr)and manganese(Mn)are up to 576.3%and 1312.7%,respectively.Overall,CO_(2) curing also enhances the compactness of UHPC,thereby demonstrating its potential to improve both mechanical and durability properties.

Study of the structure and the mechanical properties of dynamically cured PP/MAH-g-SEBS/epoxy blends

A new method concerning with the simultaneous reinforcing and toughening of polypropylene （PP） was reported. Dynamical cure of the epoxy resin was successfully applied in the PP/maleic anhydride-grafted styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene （SEBS） triblock copolymer, and the obtained blends named as dynamically cured PP/MAH-g-SEBS/epoxy blends. The stiffness and toughness of the blends are in a good balance, and MAH-g-SEBS was acted as not only an impact modifier but also a compatibilizer. The structure of the dynamically cured PP/MAH-g-SEBS/epoxy blends is the embedding of the epoxy particles by the MAH-g- SEBS.C2009 Xue Liang Jiang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Fabrication and Properties of a New Reactive Diluent for Cationic UV Curing

The reactive diluent prepared by siloxane modified Trimethylene oxide can improve the performance of the UV curing system.Therefore,1,7-bis[(3-ethyl-3-methoxyoxacylobutane)propyl]octadecylosiloxane(BEMOPOMTS)was synthesized from diethyl carbonate,trimethylopropanes,allyl bromide,and 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octadecylosiloxane as the main raw materials.BEMOPOMTS can be used as reactive diluents in the field of cationic UV curing.It has good thermal stability,and the addition of BEMOPOMTS significantly improves the tensile strength and elongation at break of epoxy resin.Compared with the pure epoxy resin,adding 20%BEMOPOMTS increased the elastic modulus by 25%to 677 MPa.

Hepatitis C virus cure with direct acting antivirals: Clinical,economic, societal and patient value for China

About 10 million people in China are infected with hepatitis C virus(HCV),with the seroprevalence of anti-HCV in the general population estimated at 0.6%.Delaying effective treatment of chronic hepatitis C(CHC)is associated with liver disease progression,cirrhosis,hepatocellular carcinoma,and liver-related mortality.The extrahepatic manifestations of CHC further add to the disease burden of patients.Managing CHC-related advanced liver diseases and systemic manifestations are costly for both the healthcare system and society.Loss of work productivity due to reduced well-being and quality of life in CHC patients further compounds the economic burden of the disease.Traditionally,pegylatedinterferon plus ribavirin(PR)was the standard of care.However,a substantial number of patients are ineligible for PR treatment,and only 40%–75%achieved sustained virologic response.Furthermore,PR is associated with impairment of patient-reported outcomes(PROs),high rates of adverse events,and poor adherence.With the advent of direct acting antivirals(DAAs),the treatment of CHC patients has been revolutionized.DAAs have broader eligible patient populations,higher efficacy,better PRO profiles,fewer adverse events,and better adherence rates,thereby making it possible to cure a large proportion of all CHC patients.This article aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation on the value of effective,curative hepatitis C treatment from the clinical,economic,societal,and patient experience perspectives,with a focus on recent data from China,supplemented with other Asian and international experiences where China data are not available.

A strength model for cement-stabilized mud subjected to various curing temperatures and its early-stage quality control

The influence of curing temperature on the strength development of cement-stabilized mud has been well documented in terms of strength-increase rate and ultimate strength.However,the strength development model is not mature for the extremely early stages.In addition,there is a lack of studies on quality control methods based on early-stage strength development.This paper presents a strength model for cement-stabilized mud to address these gaps,considering various curing temperatures and early-stage behaviors.In this study,a series of laboratory experiments was conducted on two types of muds treated with Portland blast furnace cement and ordinary Portland cement under four different temperatures.The results indicate that elevated temperatures expedite strength development and lead to higher long-term strength.The proposed model,which combines a three-step conversion process and a hyperbolic model at the reference temperature,enables accurate estimate of the strength development for cement-treated mud with any proportions cured under various temperatures.With this model,a practical early quality control method is introduced for applying cement-stabilized mud in field projects.The back-analysis parameters obtained from a 36-h investigation at temperature of 60C demonstrated a sufficient accuracy in predicting strength levels in practical applications.

Fluorinated semi-interpenetrating polymer networks for enhancing the mechanical performance and storage stability of polymer-bonded explosives by controlling curing and phase separation rates

Herein, the effect of fluoropolymer binders on the properties of polymer-bonded explosives(PBXs) was comprehensively investigated. To this end, fluorinated semi-interpenetrating polymer networks(semiIPNs) were prepared using different catalyst amounts(denoted as F23-CLF-30-D). The involved curing and phase separation processes were monitored using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, a haze meter and a rheometer. Curing rate constant and activation energy were calculated using a theoretical model and numerical method, respectively. Results revealed that owing to its co-continuous micro-phase separation structure, the F23-CLF-30-D3 semi-IPN exhibited considerably higher tensile strength and elongation at break than pure fluororubber F2314 and the F23-CLF-30-D0 semi-IPN because the phase separation and curing rates matched in the initial stage of curing.An arc Brazilian test revealed that F23-CLF-30-D-based composites used as mock materials for PBXs exhibited excellent mechanical performance and storage stability. Thus, the matched curing and phase separation rates play a crucial role during the fabrication of high-performance semi-IPNs;these factors can be feasibly controlled using an appropriate catalyst amount.

Hepatitis B cure:Current situation and prospects

Achievement of a‘clinical cure’in chronic hepatitis B(CHB)implies sustained virological suppression and immunological control over the infection,which is the ideal treatment goal according to domestic and international CHB management guidelines.Clinical practice has shown encouraging results for specific patient cohorts using tailored treatment regimens.These regimens incorporate either nucleos(t)ide analogs,immunomodulatory agents such as pegylated interferonα,or a strategic combination of both,sequentially or concurrently administered.Despite these advancements in the clinical handling of hepatitis B,achieving a clinical cure remains elusive for a considerable subset of patients due to the number of challenges that preclude the realization of optimal treatment outcomes.These include,but are not limited to,the emergence of antiviral resistance,incomplete immune recovery,and the persistence of covalently closed circular DNA.Moreover,the variance in response to interferon therapy and the lack of definitive biomarkers for treatment cessation also contribute to the complexity of achieving a clinical cure.This article briefly overviews the current research progress and existing issues in pursuing a clinical cure for hepatitis B.

Reinforcement of Lignin-Based Phenol-Formaldehyde Adhesive with Nano-Crystalline Cellulose (NCC): Curing Behavior and Bonding Property of Plywood

The curing behavior of lignin-based phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resin with different contents of nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at different heating rates (5, 10 and 20&degC/min) and the bonding property was evaluated by the wet shear strength and wood failure of two-ply plywood panels after soaking in water (48 hours at room temperature and followed by 1-hour boiling). The test results indicated that the NCC content had little influence on the peak temperature, activation energy and the total heat of reaction of LPF resin at 5 and 10&degC/min. But at 20&degC/min, LPF0.00% (LPF resin without NCC) showed the highest total heat of reaction, while LPF0.25% (LPF resin containing 0.25% NCC content) and LPF0.50% (LPF resin containing 0.50% NCC content) gave the lowest value. The wet shear strength was affected by the NCC content to a certain extent. With regard to the results of one-way analysis of variance, the bonding quality could be improved by NCC and the optimum NCC content ranged from 0.25% to 0.50%. The wood failure was also affected by the NCC content, but the trend with respect to NCC content was not clear.

Modelling the Survival of Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera and the African Stingless Bee Meliponula ferruginea Using Semiparametric Marginal Proportional Hazards Mixture Cure Model

Classical survival analysis assumes all subjects will experience the event of interest, but in some cases, a portion of the population may never encounter the event. These survival methods further assume independent survival times, which is not valid for honey bees, which live in nests. The study introduces a semi-parametric marginal proportional hazards mixture cure (PHMC) model with exchangeable correlation structure, using generalized estimating equations for survival data analysis. The model was tested on clustered right-censored bees survival data with a cured fraction, where two bee species were subjected to different entomopathogens to test the effect of the entomopathogens on the survival of the bee species. The Expectation-Solution algorithm is used to estimate the parameters. The study notes a weak positive association between cure statuses (ρ1=0.0007) and survival times for uncured bees (ρ2=0.0890), emphasizing their importance. The odds of being uncured for A. mellifera is higher than the odds for species M. ferruginea. The bee species, A. mellifera are more susceptible to entomopathogens icipe 7, icipe 20, and icipe 69. The Cox-Snell residuals show that the proposed semiparametric PH model generally fits the data well as compared to model that assume independent correlation structure. Thus, the semi parametric marginal proportional hazards mixture cure is parsimonious model for correlated bees survival data.

CURE OF PREPOLYMER BASED ON METHYL METHACRYLATE/STYRENE AND OPTICAL PROPERTY AND HYDROTHRMAL STABILITY OF TRANSPARENT FIBRE—REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC COPOLYMER COMPOSITES

: Copolymers used for transparent fibre glass-reinforced thermoplastic composite -were prepared from methyl methacrylate (.MMA) and styrene (St). Composites containing 20~25 ivt% glass fibre and 0. 7 mm in thickness had an overall optical transmission of 88 ~90%. The gel time and cure time of the prepolymers from MM A and St decreased markedly ivith addition of tiie two linear unsaturated polyesters (.LUPE) and curing process of composite laminate became controlling easily-The effect of the concentration of LUPE on thermal stability of copolymers 晅he optical properties and the hydrothermal sta-bility of composites was investigated by comparing with those of trans-parent unsaturated composites .

Cures for expansion shock and shock instability of Roe scheme based on momentum interpolation mechanism

The common defects of the Roe scheme are the non-physical expansion shock and shock instability. By removing the momentum interpolation mechanism(MIM), an improved method with several advantages has been presented to suppress the shock instability. However, it cannot prevent the expansion shock and is incompatible with the traditional curing method for expansion shock. To solve the problem, the traditional curing mechanism is analyzed. Effectiveness of the traditional curing method is discussed,and several defects are identified, one of which leads to incompatibility between curing shock instability and expansion shock. Consequently, an improved Roe scheme is proposed, which is with low computational costs, concise, easy to implement, and robust.More importantly, the proposed scheme can simultaneously solve the problem of shock instability and expansion shock without additional costs.

Finding a Cure Military scientist develops vaccine for COVID-19 pandemic

Military scientist develops vaccine for COVID-19 pandemic On April 12,the second phase of the clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine was kicked off in Wuhan,central China’s Hubei Province.It is the world’s first vaccine candidate for the novel coronavirus entering PhaseⅡof a human clinical trial,according to the World Health Organization.

Buildings and civil engineering works-Sealants-Determination of changes in cohesion and appearance of elastic weatherproofing sealants after exposure of statically cured specimens to artificial weathering and mechanical cycling

Foreword ISO(the International Organization for Standardization)is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies(ISO member bodies).The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees.Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee.

Huu S. TIEU Request for FDA to Establish Regenerating Human Cells as Law on December 13, 2016 President Barack H. Obama Signed the 21st Century CURES Act into FDA Regulation and Law

Background and Aims: On November 24, 2009, Huu S. TIEU and Golden Sunrise Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Golden Sunrise) applied for the Technology and Innovation to be reviewed and evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the review and evaluation, it was requested by Golden Sunrise designated the new indications for this application under Serious or Life-threatening conditions or diseases. Discussions followed with the FDA, Huu S. TIEU, and Golden Sunrise for FDA approval on new products and new indications on existing new Medical Technology and Innovation. It was agreed in Year-2015 that the FDA would take the request for new indications to the United States Congress to establish into FDA regulation and law. At that time the following was the FDA Guidance—“Emergency Use of a Test Article” is exempt from prior Institutional Review Board or Advisory Committee evaluation and approval, provided that such emergency use is reported to the Institutional Review Board within five working days after use. Expedited Institutional Review Board or Advisory Committee approval is not permitted in emergency use. There has been no funding to the authors for the writing or publication of this article. Methods: It was requested by Huu S. TIEU and Golden Sunrise in documents given to the FDA to have Serious or Life-threatening conditions or diseases indication be recognized by law. On August 08, 2015, the FDA responding to this request took the documentation produced by Golden Sunrise to the United States Congress on behalf of Golden Sunrise and Huu S. TIEU. This article encompasses the FDA regulatory method as well as the discussion and results of the establishment of the FDA and the 21st Century Cures Act. Results: On December 13, 2016, H.R.34—114th United States Congress (2015-2016) 21st Century CURES Act was signed into law by President Barack H. Obama which included the Serious or Life-threatening indication to be written into the CURES Act. In summary, the 21st Century Cures Act is a landmark piece of legislation that enjoyed broad bipartisan support in United States Congress. The main goals of the Act are impactful and should transform future cancer, neurologic, and precision medicine or drug research as well as aid individuals with mental health is intended to facilitate the prompt approval of new agents and devices, clinicians should be aware of the types of data behind an approval and take this into consideration when developing illnesses and opioid dependence. However, some of the wording within the CURES Act regarding the drug and device approval process may bring pause to health care providers including pharmacists. Although this wording and implementing care plans and counseling patients. The 21st Century Cures Act was incorporated into laws and regulations by the FDA under § 3072 of the Act grants the Commissioner of Food and Drugs the authority to appoint and set the annual rate of pay for outstanding and qualified candidates to scientific, technical, or professional positions that support the development, review, and regulation of medical products.

PLASMA RESONANCE FIBER OPTIC SENSOR FOR CURE MONITORING OF EPOXY COMPOSITE

The plasma resonance fiber optic sensor has a research values in theory and is widely used in engineering because of its simple structure and high sensitivity. It is a simple and sensitive method to measure the refractive index with optical fiber plasma wave. We make use of this characteristic to manufacture the plasma resonance fiber optic sensor which can detect the cure of epoxy compo site. We study the method of testing the solutions which have different refractive index with plasma resonance fiber optic sensor. A fiber optic sensing probe which has reliable performance and convenient operation for detecting the refractive index has been designed. The system for detecting the solution refractive index is developed and used to measure the refractive index of epoxy during the different phases in the cure process. Result shows that this system is credible and stable, the parameters tested are in accord with the facts.

生成式人工智能赋能本科生科研能力培养——ChatGPT支持的CUREs教学模式

为促进高等教育中高素质创新人才培养,构建以学生为中心的科研训练与课程教学整合模式是有效途径。当前基于课程的本科生科研体验(CUREs)教学模式虽在增强学生对科学本质的理解等方面具有一定优势,但在激发学生研究动机方面存在一些不足。将支持高效反馈的生成式人工智能ChatGPT引入人机协作研究过程中,有助于改善学生的科研体验,推动科研项目化学习。通过对ChatGPT支持的CUREs教学模式的设计与实施,发现该模式有助于培养学生的科研能力,提升他们的科研知识水平、科研技能水平和科研情感水平。尽管学生认同该教学模式的有效性和易用性,但其实际效果的发挥仍需人类智慧的参与。未来需要持续升级和优化生成式人工智能技术,确保技术应用高效且符合伦理标准;应用生成式人工智能技术重构教学模式,并通过长周期、跨场域实践检验其应用效果;强调人工智能与人类智慧的互补协作,真正实现生成式人工智能赋能学生科研能力提升。

A Self-Referenced Fiber-Optic Refractive Index Sensor for Cure Monitoring of Epoxy Composites

A self referenced fiber optic refractive index sensor is developed to measure quantitative cure extent of epoxy. In case the sensor is applied to in situ cure monitoring of epoxy composites, each sensor embedded in different location within the structure is self referenced and can be normalized to a common scale. Therefore, the real time comparative of each sensor’s output becomes possible and variations in the extent of cure at different locations can be monitored. The developed sensor was used to monitor the isothermal cure of an epoxy system. The output of the sensor was compared with the results of the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The self referencing function of the sensor is confirmed.

Curing Characteristics and Suitable Harvest Maturity of Fresh Flue-cured Tobacco Leaves in Ankang Tobacco Growing Areas

CuItivars K326, Yunyan 87 and Guiyan 4 were used to investigate the curing characteristics and suitabIe harvest maturity of fresh fIue-cured tobacco Ieaves in Ankang tobacco growing areas. ResuIts indicated that the water Ioss of K326 was sIow,and the Ieaves were resistant to curing and reIative easiIy to cure. The water Ioss of Yunyan 87 and Guiyan 4 were quick, and the Ieaves with normal resistance to curing were reIative difficuIt to cure. For Guiyan 4, the shrinkage of CM1 maturity was the Iargest. For K326 and Yunyan 87, the shrinkages of CM2 maturity were the Iargest whiIe the shrinkage of CM1 maturity was the Iowest, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The proportion of top-middIe-grade tobacco Ieaves and average price for K326 were the highest with XM2, CM2 and BM2 maturity, and for Yunyan 87 were XM1, CM3 and BM2 maturity. For K326, Ieaves with XM2, CM2 and BM2 maturity showed the balanced chemical components and the best smoking quality.

Influence of different curing regimes on the microstructure and macro performance of UHPFRCC

This study investigates the influence of different curing regimes on the microstructure and macro properties of ultra-high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composite （UHPFRCC）, and aims to discover whether it is possible to produce qualified UHPFRCC using different curing regimes. A control mix of UHPFRCC is prepared. The mechanical performance and the short-term durability of the UHPFRCC matrix under three curing regimes are studied. In addition, the microstructures of the UHPFRCC matrix with different curing conditions are analyzed by combining scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and mercury intrusion porosimetry （MIP）. The results explore how different UHPFRCC curing regimes affect its microstructure and how the microstructure affects its macro behavior. Heat and steam curing for 3 d is succeeded to produce the UHPFRCC with nearly the same mechanical properties and durability as those of the 90 d standard curing. However, the heat cured UHPFRCC does not show great resistance to chloride-ion penetration.